Aeroplane



J. M. THOMPSON ET AL June 2, 1925.

AEROPLANE Filed July 16, 1924 T 6 M fi a mll.

a nu a/v rm z m T N E V m A TORNEY WITNESS:

1,540,667 J. M. THOMPSON ET AL I VAEROPLANE Filed July 16, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 June 2, 1925.

JMTVzamfzsO)? INVENTOR I WITNESS: ATTORNEY June 2, 1925.

J. M. THOMPSON AL.

AEROPLANE Filed July 1 1924 s Sheets-Sheet s 1 E ,fi I

35 M komjflsan Zn d Q 0. INVENTQR i W WITNESS; v I Q 40/. AT+RNEY Patented 'June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,540,667 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. THOMPSON AND OSCAR NEIGENFIND, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AEROPLAN E.

, Application filed my 16, 1924. Serial No. 726,367.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES M. THOMP- SON and OSCAR J. NEIGENFIND, citizens of the United States, residin the county of St. Louis ity and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to improvements in aircrafts, the general object of the invention being to provide means whereby the craft can rise vertically and can hover in the air as well as move in a horizontal direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a number of sets of planes with means for moving each set in a circular path while each plane is revolving about its longitudinal axis so that the planes will exert an upward thrust on the downward movement and will feather on the upward movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide means'for tilting the planes longitudinally to cause the ship to move horizontall A nother object of the invention is to provide automatic balancing means. which include a weight.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, il-

lustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention'in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawingswherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the sev- 'eral views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 is an end View thereof.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing the driving means including the differential means.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional -view showing the driving means for the planes or blades.

Figure 5 is a detail view showing the weighted balancing means.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5. 1

Figure 7 is a sectional view through one of the blades or planes.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the central part of the frame 5 and showing a sleeve 8 therein.

at St. Louis, in

- In these views, 1 indicates the fuselage which is provided with upwardly extending parts 2 which have collars 3 at their upper "of the sleeves 8 which are carried by the truss members 5 and which fit over the tubular shaft 4:. A bar 9 has a collar 10 at its inner end which fits over the tubular shaft it at the center thereof and this collar and 'the sleeves 8 are fastened to the tubular shaft by. means of the set screws 11. The outer end of the bar 9 has connected therewith a dependin shaft 12 which has its lower part threa ed and engages an internally threaded socket member 13 which is connected with the fuselage so that when said shaft 12 is turned by the hand wheel 14;

thereon it will lock the bar 9 by shortening the distance between the outer ends of the bar 9 and the fuselage or increasing the distance, and the inner end of said bar is connected with the tubular shaft 4, so that said shaft will be caused to move with the bar and thus the frame 5 will be rocked on its transverse center.

A shaft 15 is journaled at each side of the frame 5, the journals bein connected with the ends of the members and each shaft carries a pair of frames 16 which are spaced apart and moved with the shaft. Thus the two shafts and their frames form a reel-like arrangement. A pluralit of shafts 17 are rotatably mounted in eac set of the frames 16 and a plane or blade 18 has its longitudinal central part connected with each shaft 17 the planes being arranged between the frames 16. These planes or blades are formed, as shown in Figure 7, and taper inwardly from their on each of the frames 16. A bevel gear' 23 is immovably connected with each arm of each member 7 and meshes with the gears 22 so that the shafts 20 will be rotated through engagement of the gears 22 with the stationary gears 23 as the reel frame is rotated. The reel structures are rotated by means of the shafts 24 which are con-- nected with the shafts 15 by the bevel gears 25, the shafts 2& being in alignment and having their inner ends passing into a housing 26 which encloses the differential means 27 to which the shafts 24 are connected. A. drive shaft 28 is geared to the differential means within the housing and this shaft 28 is connected by the gears 29 with a shaft- 30 which is supported in the frame and which is connected by the sprocket. and chain arrangement 31 with a shaft 32 whicl. is journaled in the tubular shaft 4; and which is connected with a suitable power plant in the fuselage by the sprocket and chain arrangements 33. Brake drums 34 are placed on the shafts 24; and the brake band 35 of each drum is connected to a stationary member 36 at one end and has its other end connected to, the arm 37 of a T-shaped lever 38 which is pivoted to the frame at 39 and which has a weight 40 at the lower end of its stem.

The plane is rovided with the usual vertically arranged rudder 41 for changing the horizontal course of the ship.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the reel assemblies are revolved in opposite directions from the power plant of the fuselage by the means shown which include the differential means 27 As the reel assembly is revolved the blades are rotated about their longitudinal centers and the parts are so arranged that the blades will offer the maximum amount of resistance to the air as they are descending and the minimum amount as they are rising so that the ship will be lifted vertically by the planes. 'By tilting the frame 5 the angle of the blades will be changed so that they will act as propellers for driving the ship forwardly or rearwardly according to the direction of tilt. If, for any reason, one set of planesshould lift one side of the ship faster than the other and cause the frame to tilt laterally, the lever 38 would be swung by its weight 40 and thus tighten the brake band 35 upon the drum and thus check the movement of the assembly which is rotating too rapidly so that this brake arrangement works automatically.

This invention will permit the aircraft to rise in a vertical plane or at any angle desired and with it a ship, can hover over a definite spot for an indefinite period; By

shown a thrust from each plane is secured in the maximum portion of revolution and with the minimum amount of resistance.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

We desire it to be understood that we may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What we claim is An aircraft of the class described comprising a body, a frame tiltably mounted thereon, a reel device at each side of the device, differential means, a power plant connected with the same, a pair of shafts connecting the differential means with the reel devices, brake means on the shaft, a weight operated member for applying the brakes when the ship tilts, blades carried by the reel devices, means for rotating the bladesabout their longitudinal centers as the reels rotate and means for tilting the frame.

In testimony whereof we afiix our'signatures.

JAMES: M. THOMPSON. OSCAR J. NEIGEN'FIND. 

